Package and method for making a garment



June 9, 1964 L. KAROSEN PACKAGE AND METHOD FOR MAKING A GARMENT Filed June 4, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. l 501v Amosav aim? M1 ATTORNEQ June 1954 L. KAROSEN 3,136,412

PACKAGE AND METHOD FOR MAKING A GARMENT Filed June 4, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2'23 INVENTOR. lzou MwosE/v qjm ww ATTORNEYS June 9, 1964 L. KAROSEN 3,136,412

PACKAGE AND METHOD FOR MAKING A GARMENT Filed June 4, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. a} 150 Muzosav ATTOKIVEYS United States Patent corporation of Missouri Filed June 4, 1962, Ser. No. 199,982 1 Claim. (Cl. zen-45.31

This invention relates to the production of garments, and more particularly to a package and method whereby the portion of the price of garments which constitutes labor costs can be materially reduced for the consumer.

Heretofore, when a person desired a new garment, for example, a coat, a limited number of alternatives have been available. The consumer could elect to purchase the garment ready-made in the desired size from a retail clothing store or like source whereupon the price of the garment naturally. reflects substantial labor costs incurred in fabricating the garment at the factory. Another alternative has been for the consumer to order the garment custom-made to his specifications. The price of the garment in the latter case would be generally even greater than with a retail ready-made purchase since labor-saving assembly line procedures cannot be used. A further alternative has been for the consumer to make the garment himself, usually after purchasing paper patterns in the desired size and style, together with suitable fabric bolt goods, buttons, linings, and the like. The latter, though potentially cost reducing, often proves to be not satisfactory. Although the average purchaser might have certain sewing skills, they are usually insufficient for fabricating a complex garment such as a coat when having on hand only the raw materials thereof together with basic patterns. In addition, a substantial quantity of bolt fabric is usually wasted because of the inability to provide optimum pattern positioning thereon when only a single garment is being produced.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to provide a method for substantially reducing the cost paid by the consumer for wearing apparel; to provide a package containing garment, parts upon which the most diflicult cutting and sewing steps have been performed leaving only the steps requiring lesser skills to be performed by the consumer for finishing the garment; to provide such a package wherein very little fabric has been wasted, the savings being due to mass production pattern lay-out; to provide such a package having instruction sheets with illustrations contained therein for clearly demonstrating to the semi-skilled consumer the proper steps in finishing the garment; to provide suitable marks or coding indicia on the garment pieces indicating the exact relationship of the pieces with respect to each other and eliminating the need for high skill in fitting same together; to provide a unique display package containing pre-cut and partially fabricated garment pieces together with other garment parts such as thread, buttons and lining; to provide such a package containing garment fabric pieces having an exterior side and an interior side, the package including a box with transparent window portions therein for displaying the exterior side of the garment fabric pieces in particular informational outlines without opening the package; to provide a sequence of steps in making a garment which includes collecting garment pieces together and packaging same prior to finishing the garment, and selling the package to the consumer to be finished by consumer labor; and to provide means by which modern styles and high quality garments may be enjoyed by the consumer at heretofore unknown low cost.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will 3,135,412 Patented June 9, 1964 become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and example certain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package embodying this invention, particularly showing a box with transparent window portions.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the package of FIG. 1 showing the contents thereof wrapped on a core. a

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating garment fabric pieces with coded marks on the periphery thereof to facilitate assembly.

FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating lining parts adapted to be assembled with the fabric pieces of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating hymo or interfacing parts adapted to be assembled with the garment fabric pieces of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing instruction sheets describing and illustrating how to fabricate the garment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing buttons, needles, bobbins with thread wound thereon, and seam tape required in fabricating the garment.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view, particularly showing the various garment parts as they are assembled on a core for insertion into the box.

Referring to the drawings in more detail:

The reference numeral 1 generally indicates a package embodying this invention. The package 1 is comprised of a box 2 of suitable material such as cardboard of sufiicient strength to permit stacking without crushing and containing a cut-out portion 3 framing a window 4 described more fully hereinafter. The box 2 includes an upper part or lid 5 and a lower part or base 6', said base being adapted to receive garment parts and other pieces later described. -The lid 5 has lateral peripheral depending lips 7 which are formed by the cardboard material thereof being turned on itself, said lips 7 being adapted to telescope over and engage similar upwardly extending lips 8 formed on the periphery of the base 6. The corners 9 of the lid 5 and base 6 are rendered rigid through the formation of suitable flaps 10 extending between the material making up the respective lips 7 and 8, FIG. 8.

Referring to FIG. 3, by way of illustration, there are shown garment fabric pieces broadly designated 11 and which may be formed of any suitable garment outer material, such as wool or cotton. The garment fabric pieces 11 are pre-cut for fitting or assembly together and comprise a back 12, sleeves 13 and 14, front pieces 15 and 16, collar pieces 17, 18, 19 and 19', pocket flaps 20 and 21, and buttonhole pieces 22 and 23. The front pieces 15 and 16 each have finished pockets 24 and 25 cut and sewn thereon respectively which pockets are particularly difficult forthe novice or semi-skilled seamstress to form. Each of the garment fabric pieces 11 are accurately cut out in multiple'groups from master patterns and under mass production conditions to effect the minimum labor and material costs in producing high quality, unassembled pieces. -The peripheral edges of the garment fabric pieces 11 have notches 26 cut therein and identified by suitable indicia 27 to provide locating points and matching identifying 'codes whereby under instruction the various garment pieces may be assembled in correct relationship without the degree of skill otherwise required to produce a high quality finished garment.

Referring to FIG. 4, a plurality of pre-cut lining pieces broadly designated 28 are illustrated, and more specifically comprise sleeve lining 29 and 30, front lining 31 and 32, back lining 33 and 34 and storm cuff lining 35 and 36. The periphery of the lining pieces 28 also has suitable notches designated 37 and suitably coded at 38 to permit I seam tape 57, and a decorative label 58.

matching with garment pieces for proper assembly therewith. The lining pieces 28, as with the garment fabric pieces 1l,'are formed on a mass production basis and with careful layout to provide quality pieces with an absolute minimum of labor cost and material waste.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is illustrated the hymo or interfacing material parts broadly designated 39. The

hymo parts 39 comprise the front hymos 4t) and 41,

the sleeve hymos 42 and 43, the back interfacing or percalin parts 44 and 45 and the collar interfacing or pellon 46. The hymo or interfacing material parts 39, as with theother garment parts described above, have the peripheries thereof notched in spaced relation at 47 and suitable identifying or code indicia 48 are associated respectively with the notches to permit the proper location of the parts 39with the above-described parts for assembly. The forming of the parts 39 is similar to the forming of the garment pieces 11 and lining pieces 28 for cost savings.

FIG. 6 illustrates an instruction booklet 49 having stepby-step illustrations 50 imprinted thereon and text material 51 referring to the respective notches and identifying code. The illustrations and text material, when followed in indicated sequence, clearly lead the novice or semiskilled seamstress through the proper steps for assembling the various above-described garment pieces in proper relation.

FIG. 7 illustrates various additional parts adapted to be assembled with the above-described garment parts, as well as suitable toolsby which said parts are to be assembled. The various members making up the illustration of FIG. 7 are broadly designated 52, and specifically comprise. buttons 53, sewing machine bobbins 54 having thread 55 of a suitable color wound thereon, needles 56, Depending upon the garment design, other members such as trims, fur pieces, special ornaments, costume jewelry, shoulder pads, etc., (not shown) may be included in this group.

The garment parts 11 2B and 39, aftercutting and coding, are collected together and Wrapped upon a suitable core in the illustrated example of relatively stiff After the various pieces have been collected and paclo aged, no further work is done on the garment by the factory, but rather the package is vended through the usual wholesale and retail channels of trade. Upon being purchased by the consumer the package forms the basis of providing said consumer with a completed garment at hitherto unknown low cost compared to other garments of comparable quality. The savings in labor and material cost to the consumer permits the furnishing of high style and fine fabrics which would otherwise be unavailable at the price.

It is to be understood that the invention described herein can be designed for assembly by consumers of both lesser and greater skills to respectively take advantage of lesser and greater labor savings without departing from the scope of this invention. It is to be further understood that while one form of this invention has been illustrated and described, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as such limitations are included in the claim.

.What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A garment kit including in combination, a container of substantially rectangular configuration with one wall having a Window therein, said window opening having opaque portions and transparent portions with one transparent portion having a shape to depict a complete garment and other said transparent portions having shapes depicting cut-out portions of the garment, the container having therein a printed instruction sheet and containin velope with machine bobbins with thread thereon of cardboard, in a manner whereby the exterior surface 69 of a garment fabric piece, as distinguished from the interior surface 60 thereof, faces outwardly of the collected assemblage 61. The members'SZ are preferably grouped together in a suitable container, in the illustrated example an envelopedZ, and said envelope is placed beneath the top layer of the assemblage 61, FIG. 8. The assemblage 61 is then placed in the base 6 and the top or upwardly facing portion 63 of the assemblage 51 ex? poses the exterior surface 649 ata level substantially equal to the elevation of the top edge 64 of the base 6.

The window 4 framed by the cut-outportion 3 is pref i texture and the like for fabrication of the garment through the transparent window portions with said one transparent erably of flexible synthetic resin and has transparent portions 65 and non-transparent or opaque portions 66. The non-transparent portions 66, in the illustrated example, outline reduced likenesses of the garment fabric pieces 11 on the transparent portions 65 at 67. Similarly, a repre sentation of the finished garment is shown on a model at 63 and various other displays, for example, decorative portions 69 are formed. Since the exterior side 6llof a garment fabric piece faces the window 4 when the lid 5 is closed over the base 6, the window 4 displays the fabric surface and color thereof through the transparent portions 65 whereby a potential buyer maybe quickly apprised of the major contents of the box and obtain an accurate outline of a finished garment in its actual color and fabric without the necessity of opening the box. Various informational and sales material 76 may be suitably printed on the opaque portions 66 to further add to the appearance and utility of the box.

proper color the same as or contrasting with the color of the components from which the garment and the like is fabricated, matching buttons, trimmings, seam tape and the like for attachment to the respective components of the garment and the like, a flat rectangular core in said container, said precut' garment fabric material being wound around said core in the container with said outer surface of said fabric material adjacent said window whereby the pattern of said fabric material is clearly visi'ole through the transparent portions of said window, so that a person may readily, following the aforesaid instruction and illustration sheets, fabricate a garment and the like from the said components that form the garment and the,likeand may view the material as regards color,

window portion providing a view of said outer surface of the fabric material in the form of a completed garment.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I 502,952 Craw Aug. 8, 1893 1,360,287 reist Nov. 30, 1920 1,545,246 Freeman July 7, 1925 1,739,920 .Schleicher Dec. 17, 1929 2,711,819 Vander Lugt June 28, 1955 3,033,357 Vogel May 8, 1962 OTHER REFERENCES Woodward & Lothrop advertisement in The Evening Star, Wash, D.C., June 17,1952. Copy in 206-46 app. 

